Early to bed

Are you ready for Joji’s latest MKAL?

Hello and welcome to another Mystery Knit-Along with Joji.
  

We’ll be knitting together a very easy but gorgeous shawl over the course of four weeks. 

Designing and writing a mystery shawl is a nerve-wracking process: you never know if you’ll meet everyone’s expectations. 
I don’t want you to be disappointed with the result, so I’ll share a few details about the project. But since this is still a mystery, I’ll keep some surprises for later! 

Here are some facts about the shawl we’ll be making:

• It is a crescent shaped shawl. It can be worn over the shoulders or as a scarf.
• Approx. measurements are 68” (170 cm) wide x 15¼“ (38 cm) deep.
• This is a small one skein shawl, so the clues are really doable within one week.
• It is worked in only one color, but feel free to use colors as you like. Perhaps you feel like striping, fading, marling? That would make this shawl truly a mystery.
• You will need approx. 420 yards (384 m) of fingering weigh yarn. You can still make it with 400 yards… but 420 will work better. And if you have more than that, you’ll be able to use them. You can also use yarns in a different weight, with a similar yardage (for example: 440 yards of DK). The result will be a bigger shawl.
• Good for all levels. This is an easy shawl and there are no complex techniques used. There is no brioche involved. No short rows either.

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

One skein of Hedgehog Skinny Singles will make the shawl and the skeins are on sale.

Lykke Flight needles are leaving my supplier’s warehouse tomorrow and we will have them early next week. The website has been updated so you can preorder.

What a yucky day. I don’t mind the weather getting cooler but the rain can stay away. I think it’s time to dig out socks again.

I’m heading to bed now because it’s going to be a late evening again tomorrow night. 

Hedgehog Fibres Sale

Select Hedgehog Fibres yarns are on sale from now until Sunday November 23rd. Don’t miss out - 25% off in store and online.

Hedgehog is introducing 13 colours in the new year and we need room for these. 

We have some great news. My supplier just received a shipment of Lykke Flight needles. We should see our shipment sometime next week. As soon as I get a shipping confirmation I will add them to the website.

Late this afternoon we received an order from Thread and Maple. This is the Leather Notions Zip and Leather Tape Measure in Denim. These aren’t online yet - coming tomorrow. The Zip will retail for $72.50 and the Tape Measure is $30. These will be a preorder right now. I ordered one of each to see them in real life and I love them.

The available colours for the Notions Zip are

• Rose
• Teal
• Denim
• Whiskey
• Wine

The available colours for Tape Measure are 

• Rose 
• Denim
• Whiskey
• Chocolate 
• Wine

The game last night was much better and we were able to get to bed a reasonable hour. Let’s hope the same happens tonight.

How late were you up last night?

Late nights mean lots of knitting. 

I went to bed at 1am. I couldn’t stay up any later. Dad and Beth made it to the end. Everyone was dragging today. I did a bit of accounting, ran some errands and had my hair cut. Then an afternoon nap. 

Hopefully tonight the game will end earlier with better results. Now back to my knitting. 

Chasing the UPS Truck

I was in the store early packing boxes. I needed to leave before noon to get to the Ford dealership to have something looked at on my Expedition. All the boxes were packed and I dropped them at the UPS drop off. As I was driving through town my eyes were searching for the UPS truck. He had a box of Spincycle and I really wanted it. I saw him but was past him. After pulling into a parking lot to turn around I got my box. My driver was shocked and confused when I pulled up beside him. He doesn’t understand the need for new yarn.

Dyed in the Wool

Bitter Pill. I came straight home from the dealership so Beth was nice enough to bring my box in so I could take pictures. This is the colour I’m using for Jaunty.

Reckless Abandon. 

Dream State

Open Water

Plump

Ghost Ranch

Goldie

Bitter Pill. I will be using 3 skeins of this to make another Sophie Scarf for the Spincycle Plump-A-Long.

Will you be joining along?

Everything is on the website.

Now it’s time to get ready for the baseball game. After I get Boscoe out of my knitting chair I’m going back to Jaunty.

Gnoel Gnome

Sara Schira has a new gnome pattern that you can purchase on Ravelry. Meet Gnoel Gnome.

Gnoel runs a scented candle workshop. At this time of year, he loves to combine cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves in his favourite festive candle - Put A Bow On It. He is working on a woodsmoke and nutmeg candle he plans to call Stockings By The Fire.

A handsome, larger gnome, Gnoel is a great gnome for mantlepieces or porch displays. He’s a great first project for stranded colourwork - after all, wonkiness is gnominess!

Fun Fact: the mittens have no gusset - we do a little trick with an i-cord thumb that gets knit on so we can reduce the fussiness of making tiny mittens.

Skills Used
•knit and purl 
•working in the round and flat 
•i-cord 
•stranded colourwork 
•kfb, kfb-M 
•k2tog 
•3-needle bind-off

14 video tutorials linked in the pattern, including colourwork basics, tips for assembling Gnoel, and tips to work the beard

Colourwork is charted only.

Sarah knit Gnoel in Rowan Felted Tweed. You need one ball each of

C1 222 Scarlet (red) 
C2 227 Sorbet (light green) 
C3 205 Lotus Leaf (dark green) 
C4 161 Avocado (medium green) 
C5 197 Alabaster (light grey)

You will have enough of colours 1, 2, 4 and 5 to knit a second gnome.

We had a great day at Malabrigo Day yesterday. Thank you to everyone who visited. It was crazy busy all day and I didn’t get any pictures. We had lots of beautiful Malabrigo garments worn in during the day. Knitters had fun trying the Malabrigo yarns on the front table.

Lynn was wearing Joji’s Lightweight Hipster knit in a skein of Malabrigo Sock with her DRK Everyday Cardi. Her Pressed Flower Socks were knit with Malabrigo Ultimate Sock and Crazy Zauberball.

Dad and Beth carved pumpkins yesterday. Beth bought cutters (like cookie cutters) and they worked will.

They’re out on the front porch. Beth bought special lights as well.

I found my knitting scale on Friday night when I was gathering knitting needles. Now I’m back working on Jaunty. The colour is Bitter Pill Dyed in the Wool. Mr. UPS will be bringing a box this week with more bags of this colour.

I was so tired last night that I couldn’t finish my post. There was a short nap after work then dinner and the baseball game. What a disappointing game. I hope it’s better tomorrow night.

Ivy Cardigan

PetiteKnit has a new pattern and what a stunner. It is knit with a Kidsilk mohair held double strand. The pattern is the Ivy Cardigan and you can purchase it on Ravelry.

The Ivy Cardigan is worked flat back and forth from the top down in one piece. The yoke is constructed with shoulder increases on the first section. On the next section increases are worked on the sleeves only, and on the final section classic raglan increases are worked on both body and sleeves. The sleeves are worked in the round on double-pointed needles or on a circular needle using the Magic Loops technique. At the end, plackets are worked along the front edges and along the neck.

Alex was with me this afternoon and started to cast on for the yarn tasting tomorrow. I quickly grabbed needles this morning from beside my knitting chair. I didn’t bring enough so now I need to go to the sewing room tonight to grab more. 

We were busy making kits and more kits. 

This picture is a reminder to Lynn to bring the Temperance shawl tomorrow.

I think we have price signs on everything.

There are signs on all the Malabrigo yarns so it is easy for you to find them.

Have a good evening. We’re ready for baseball. My heart stopped a few minutes ago because our internet and TV went out. Thankfully it came back on 5 minutes later. I was scrambling to figure out how to cast the game to the TV from my iPad.

Temperance Shawl

We have another Malabrigo sample that has been hiding for a while. I found it this afternoon. Lynn is going to steam it and it will be on display on Saturday. This is the Temperance Shawl (pattern purchased on Ravelry) knit with 3 colours of Malabrigo Sock on 4mm needles. I’ve had fun making up kits.

I found our Pressed Flowers. I’ll make kits for this tomorrow.

We have something new from Cocoknits. This is the Project Keeper. At this time we only have the Keeper in Gray.

• Box made of washable Kraft paper fabric
• Box comes in Gray or Kraft color
• Folders and tags are white and made of recycled paper
• Clear package window is biodegradable PLA
• Dimensions:
• Box: 5.75" / 4.5 cm wide x 6" / 15 cm long x 5.75" / 14.5 cm high
• Folders: 5.5" / 14 cm x 5.5" / 14 cm
• Tags: 3.75" / 9.5 x 5" / 12.5 cm

Use the folders and tags to keep all the details of any project organized in this retro style box. Knitting, crochet, quilting, needlework, and more - record the tools, pattern, sizes, materials, recipient, and other important information. Keep the tag with the project for notes on the go, then file in the Project Keeper when complete. The folders can hold a swatch, yarn labels, fabric samples and other materials, along with the project tag. 

These are available online and in the store. 

Beth is running errands and then bringing home dinner. Dad and I have been busy making brownies. Then I did some website updating. We received a few new colours of Kathmandu Fingering. An order for Cascade has been sent in. Now I’m going to say good evening. We have football tonight but it could be an early evening. We watched a movie last night called Lion. It was a great movie but boy did I cry. There were a lot of sad parts and then the ending was happy which led to more crying. Even dad was crying at the end. It was hard falling asleep after the movie which meant a migraine today. Thank goodness I have medication that works quickly. Lynn and I had a great day in the store - thanks to everyone who visited.